The actor Orlando Bloom has starred in four of the ten top-grossing movies of the past decade, which include films in The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean trilogies. He is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, raising awareness for programs that provide clean water and education for needy children. Yet as a child, Bloom struggled in school. Recently, Bloom spoke about his experience growing up with dyslexia.

Bloom grew up in Canterbury, Kent, a city known for its cathedral, two major universities, and a colorful street scene; his earliest impressions of performing were the actors and mimes he saw on the city streets. The man he believed to be his father, the South African-born Jewish novelist Harry Saul Bloom, died when Orlando was four, and he and his older sister were raised by his mother. He later learned that his biological father was actually his mother’s partner, Colin Stone.

Bloom’s early experience at school was “a great struggle,” and “very hard work.” He was active and good at sports, but also distracted and accident-prone. He had many fractures— of the skull, back, leg, arm, fingers—which led him to recognize later that he had ADHD as well as dyslexia. He knew that he “wasn’t stupid,” but he was often angry and frustrated because of his difficulty with reading and spelling. When he was seven, his mother took him to a specialist in London who diagnosed his dyslexia and confirmed that he was highly intelligent.

Bloom hid his dyslexia from friends, taking extra classes and working hard to keep up. While at times he hated school because of the academic struggle, he was athletic and socially capable, a captain of sports teams. His difficult subjects were reading, spelling, math, and writing in script, but he did well in science and excelled in creative work like ceramics, photography and theater. By age eleven he thought “it would be great to be different characters throughout life,” and imagined being an actor. His drama teacher gave him leading roles; although he found reading aloud difficult, he discovered that being on stage helped him to focus, and he learned lines very thoroughly.

Bloom identified his mother as the “cheerleader,” who convinced him that he could do anything and urged him to achieve. She coached Orlando and his sister in memorizing poetry and bible passages and reciting in competitions, including the Kent Festival. His mother found ways to motivate him as he got older: “If you read 50 books, you’ll get a motor bike,” was one challenge. While he didn’t read the 50 books, his mother’s practice of setting goals and pushing him to achieve them fostered strong work habits.

At age 16, Bloom moved to London to take an A Level course in Drama, Photography, and Sculpture. He lived with family friends, but he was on his own to get to classes and perform in a demanding academic art curriculum. “I felt the responsibility of it, and the opportunity,” he said. He joined the National Youth Theater, and later trained at the British American Drama Academy and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He signed with an agent while still in school, and got his part in The Lord of the Rings right after graduating. He credits mentors, including Johnny Depp, for helping to guide him in his acting career.

Asked what he would recommend to an eight- or nine-year-old child who has dyslexia, Bloom said: “Know that you’re part of a very special club. It’s a gift. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you’re not good enough, or that because you struggle with dyslexia you’re not going to make it. It’s simply not true. It can be the opportunity of your life.” He urged children with the disability to “hold onto your dreams” and to “take this obstacle and make it the reason to have a big life.”

He had recommendations for parents, whose children struggling with dyslexia “deserve to know they are special.” His insights: “The greatest gift is to give them the sense that nothing is unattainable. With dyslexia comes a very great gift, which is the way that your mind can think creatively. If kids can be given the opportunity to find that way of thinking, what works for them, then they will be very happy and successful in whatever field they choose to go into.”

He encouraged parents to be patient with a child’s frustration at not being able to keep up, and suggested that they give the child “opportunities to try things and find a passion.” Having a physical outlet like sports, or a creative pursuit like art or music, is important for children with dyslexia. While he noted that information about dyslexia was less widely known when he was young, educators are now aware of ways to support children with dyslexia, such as providing books on tape, or computers for note-taking in class.

How does dyslexia affect his life today? “Time gets away from me,” he says, “I have trouble staying on track.” Bloom still finds that his mind “moves too quickly” and “writing is too slow.” But he has an assistant who helps him to stay organized and to work on the computer. He allows extra time for reading, and finds it easier to read scripts printed on yellow or green paper. While he prefers to have his lines in advance to learn them thoroughly, he acknowledges that it can be difficult when there are re-writes.

There were circumstances that made Orlando Bloom’s experience with dyslexia largely positive. His early diagnosis was a great advantage; he understood that he was smart and capable, even though he struggled with reading. That understanding, along with the nurturing of his talents in sports and the arts, helped to preserve his self-esteem. His facility for creative work, and those accomplishments, may have offset the academic challenges he faced. And his mother’s emphasis on setting goals and working hard gave him the habit of thorough preparation that likely attracted mentors who recognized his talent early. Bloom mentioned that spirituality has always been part of his life. While he was raised in the Church of England, he has embraced Buddhist philosophy and practices meditation, which he believes helps him to focus. Bloom clearly had ambition and a drive to succeed, but the attitude that leads him refer to dyslexia as “hard work, but in the end a real gift,” may be a factor in his success.

During the summer Orlando Bloom was married to the model Miranda Kerr, and they are expecting their first child. The maturity and empathy Bloom displayed in discussing his dyslexia, and the insights he generously shared, will serve him well when he becomes a parent. What he stated for children with dyslexia works as inspiration for children without learning challenges: “(To deal with dyslexia) you have to have faith in yourself. Believe that you can do anything. Nothing is unattainable. You have the opportunity to understand how you think and learn, and that can bring you success in life.”

Bloom was the eighth honoree of the Adam Jeffrey Katz Memorial Lecture Series, a program of conversations between Dr. Harold Koplewicz President of the Child Mind Institute, and exceptional people whose lives have been affected by learning disabilities like dyslexia and ADHD. (Other recent honorees include Ari Emanuel, CEO of William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, and the celebrated artist Chuck Close). The event was presented on June 2, 2010 by the Child Mind Institute and co-sponsored by NYC-Parents in Action, for an audience that included parents and children, and educators and physicians.

For more information on the Child Mind Institute and on dyslexia, see www.childmindinstitute.com. For more information on subjects of concern to parents, see www.parentsinaction.org.